Fluid-operated vacuum-massage device



May 26, 1925. 1,539,794

. E. R. HANGLITER FLUID OPERATED VACUUM MASSAGE DEVICE Filed Aug. 18,1922 lilllllllllllllllllll IH Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWARD R. HANGLITER, OF ARDSLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLUID-OPERATED VACUUM-MASSAGE DEVICE.

Application filed August 18, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD R. HANG- LITTER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Ardsley, in the county of Montgomery and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFluid-Operated Vacuum-Massage Devices; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to a fluid operated vacuum massage device and hasreference to such a device adapted for connection to the usual and wellknown bath tub or basin faucet for receiving its source of actuatingfluid.

An object of the invention is to provide such an apparatus which willproduce a continuous vibratory suction or vacuous action in the massagecup, such action being regulated as to frequency by suitable adjustingmeans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this naturewhich is extremely simple, inexpensive to manufacture, strong, durableand highly efficient in operation.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus;Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectionalview taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure A} is a vertical sectionalview taken on line 14 of Figure 1, and Figure 5 represents the parts1516.

In the drawings, 10 designates a cylindrical body portion providing achamber 11. The body portion 10 is provided at one end with an openingthrough which a nozzle 12 passes, the upper portion 13 of which projectsabove the body 1 and may be corrugated exteriorly to facilitate theconnection of the device, through the medium of suitable coupling means(not shown) with a source of water under pressure,such for example, as afaucet from a water supply system. The nozzle 12 terminates within thechamber 11, in a contracted outlet 13 positioned adjacent to the outletof a discharge tube 14 communicating with said chamber 11, and thisdischarge tube may be connected in any suitable manner with a Serial No.582,695.

sewer or other waste outlet. The nozzle 12 has secured therein aperforated disk 15 provided with a stem 16 located centrally within saidnozzle and made to terminate in the contracteddischarge end 18 of saidnozzle.

A cylinder 17 is disposed at right angles to the body portion 10 and isadapted to communicate with the latter through a port 18. The cylinder17 is also provided, in line with the port 18, with a tubular extension19 with which one end of a rubber tube 20 may be connected, theother-end of said tube having connected therewith a massage cup orapplicator 21' of the vacuum type. A nipple 22 enters oneend of thecylinder 17 and communicates with a short tube 23 projecting from thecylinder,said short tube being provided with an air inlet port 2 1, andthe admission of air through the latter is controlled at the will of theuser, by means of a manually operable valve 25 threaded into said tube.

The cylinder 17 contains a loosely fitting hollow piston valve 26adapted to seatagainst and close the end of the nipple 22. The free endof the cylinder 17 is closed by a threaded plug 27 and the latterisprovided with a stem 28 which enters the hollow piston valve andterminates a short distance from the closed end of the same,- thefunction of said stem being to form a stop to limit the movement of saidvalve in a direction away from its seat on the air inlet nipple 22;againstwhich seat, the piston valve is normally retained by the actionof a light spring 29 and atmospheric pressure within the cylinder 17.

When the device shall have been connected with a flow of water underpressure, the water will flow with considerable velocity from thecontracted discharge end of the nozzle 12 to the discharge tube 14 andcarry with it, air contained within the chamber 11. Having thusexhausted air from the chamber 11, the suction created by the rapidlyflowing liquid will also exhaust air through the port 18 from the tube19, and tube or hose 20,v and from the massage cup 21 if the latter beapplied to the skin of the user, thus causing the massage cup to producea suction action on the skin. When the chamber 11, tubes 19 and 20 andthe massage cup shall have been exhausted in the manner above explained,the air will then be exhausted from behind the loosefitting pistonvalve26 in the cylinder 17 and the latter will quickly move back against theresistance of the spring 29, until it is arrested by the stop stem 28,thus uncovering the air inlet nipple 22 and permitting air to enter anddestroy the vacuous conditions above described, and therefore relievethe suction in the massage cup. Air entering the device will find itsway to the vacuous chamber formed behind the piston valveand said'valvewill be caused to close the air inlet nipple 22, by the combined action'of atmospheric pressure and the spring 29. The operations abovedescribed will then be repeated and the exhausting ofthe massage cupwill be continued intermitting- 1y as long as the fluid pressure fromthe source of liquid supply is maintained and the massage cup is keptapplied to the person of the user or the patient as the case may be.

It will be seen that with the use of my improvements, the vacuouscondition in the massage cupis intermittent and hence in aSense'vibratory rather than continuous. By regulating the inlet of airthrough the nipple-22 with the use of the manually operable valve 25,the frequency and duration of each vacuum or suction impulse may becontrolled and by completely closing the air inlet, the suction can bemade continuous rather than intermittent or vibratory, if so desired.

.The intermittent or vibratory action of the device is valuable from amedical standpoint as it insures a constant flow of blood to and fromthe part under massage treatment.

Various changes might be made in the details of construction of myinvention without departing from the spirit of the latter or limitingits scope and hence I do not restrict myself to the precise detailsherein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Lettors-Patent, is z 1. In an apparatus of the classdescribed, the combination with a vacuum tube, and

means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet communicatinglaterally with the vacuum tube, a valve mounted on the vacuum tube andoperable underpressure from the air inlet to break the vacuum, and meansfor varying the effective area of the air inlet.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuumtube, and

means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet communicating withthe vacuum tube, a valve mounted on the vacuum tube and operable underpressure fromthe-air inlet to break the vacuum, and manually adjustablemeans for controlling the volume of air admitted to the inlet.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuumtube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inletcommunicating with the vacuum tubeya valve carried by the tube, andyieldable means for seating the valve upon the inner end of the airinlet to close the inlet, the valve being operable under pressure fromthe inlet to open the same and break the vacuum.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuumtube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet extendingtransversely into the tube, a piston valve mounted upon the tube inaxial alinement with the air inlet, and a spring constantly urging thevalve toward the air inlet to seat upon and close the inner end thereof,the valve being movable from the'air inlet under the pressure therein tobreak the vacuum in the vacuum tube.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vacuumtube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of an air inlet extendingtransversely into the tube, a piston valve mounted upon the tube inaxial alinement with the air inlet, and a spring constantly urging thevalve toward the air inlet to seat upon and close the 'inner endthereof, the valve being movable from the air inlet under the pressuretherein to break the vacuum in the vacuum tube, and means to limit theopening movement of the valve.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with. avacuum tube, and means for creating a vacuum therein, of a cylinder onthe tube at an angle thereto, an air inlet alined axially with thecylinder, apiston valve mounted in the cylinder to seat against andclose the air inlet and operableunder pressure therein to unseat andbreak the vacuum, a springv housed in the cylinder and bearing upon thevalve to hold it seated, and a stem projecting inwardly from the outerend of the valve to limit the unseating movement of the valve.

In testimony whereof, I have, signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD R. HANGLITER.

Witnesses:

ALLEN B. CLEMENT, L. E. DAYTON.

